


Color My World

by nerdcredred, Ocelot_l



Series: Lifetimes [6]
Category: Atop the Fourth Wall, That Guy with the Glasses/Channel Awesome
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-01
Updated: 2013-11-01
Packaged: 2017-12-31 04:12:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1027090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdcredred/pseuds/nerdcredred, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ocelot_l/pseuds/Ocelot_l
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After their New Year's date, Boffo and Linksano continue to explore their relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> All works can also be found at my LiveJournal page at http://bookishlady242.livejournal.com/
> 
> We do not own these characters nor the people who portray these characters. This is meant as a work of fiction and is fair use. "Color My World" is performed by Chicago.

Linksano yawned and turned over in bed, stretching his body out like a cat. He laid there silently for a few more moments before finally blinking his eyes open to focus on his alarm clock. Thankfully, it wasn’t going to be a busy day, so he hadn’t needed to set the alarm and was able to drowse around for a while, waking up at his own pace. It was late morning, and Linksano’s sheets were comfortable and warm, so much so that he wouldn’t have minded falling back asleep. However, his mind was not as prone to lounging about as his body was, and his increasingly rapid, ever fluctuating thoughts propelled him to get up, slide on his goggles, and make his way into the bathroom. Along the way he nodded at Ninja-Style Dancer, who was headed downstairs to make breakfast, and kindly thanked 90s Kid, who was just leaving it, for holding the door to the bathroom open for him.

Linksano looked blankly into the mirror for a few moments before a small smile crossed his face at nothing in particular. He quickly undressed and stepped into the shower. The hot water felt heavenly against his skin and he sighed in contentment, enjoying the feeling of it for a few minutes before finally picking up the soap and starting to wash. As Linksano washed, he also sang, with much more vigor than he usually sang, and for once he didn’t worry about who might overhear him.

He couldn’t figure out why he felt so comfortable and at ease with himself at the moment. Normally in the mornings, even unhurried mornings like these, Linksano was somewhat of a grouch. Until he was downstairs and drinking his morning coffee, he barely ever made friendly movements or gestures toward anyone, his jaw often set in a display of discomfort or disdain.

But on that morning, Linksano’s jaw was unclenched and had already proven that it really did not take much effort to smile. He felt calm and happy with the world. He didn’t long to be back in bed, buried under the covers while he escaped from the world in a book or in his dreams, and he didn’t feel as though he wanted to head straight down into his lab either. Linksano felt perfectly happy about taking it easy and moving leisurely through his day. He quickly deduced that some change was going on with him and he wondered about what it could mean, before deciding to focus on more pleasant topics, like the delicious smells wafting upstairs from the kitchen.

After completing his shower, Linksano toweled himself off and reached for his clothes. Even after several years of living with his roommates, Linksano was still far too shy to appear towel-clad before them, and even he felt himself blushing when 90s Kid would pass by in this state. Thankfully, the others tended to share his sense of modesty and didn’t say too much about that. Linksano took a quick look in the mirror to make sure his face was clean and his hair tidy before he went down the stairs, walking to the kitchen. The pleasant scent of coffee in the air was stronger than before and he wrinkled his nose appreciatively, thinking that he had come down at exactly the right time.

As Linksano moved toward the cabinets, intent on grabbing a mug, he saw that Boffo was already tinkering with the coffee pot, his back turned to him. Linksano couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the rainbow curls and pink jacket, so starkly at variance with his own black clothes and grey trench coat. This was before his cheeks started to tint red as a spark of excitement and nervousness ignited inside him. Linksano blinked behind his goggles a few times before deciding that this must be the answer to the riddle of why his morning felt so comfortable now.

In spite of their budding romance, Linksano couldn’t help but retain his slight pangs of skepticism when it came to love. Even though he’d been reassured by their conversation on New Year’s Eve, there were times when Linksano had to force down the urge to question Boffo’s motives when the clown went out of his way to do kind things for him. He knew that Boffo was honestly showing him his affection, which made Linksano overjoyed and anxious at the same time, but he was working on how to settle his feelings of inadequacy and trust more in Boffo. As they spent time together, Linksano was also starting to discover things in the clown he had never noticed before.

Boffo was always smiling, showing his genuine happiness with life, but there was an added warmth to his smile whenever it was directed Linksano’s way. Boffo’s eyes also seemed to take on a soft glow whenever he looked at him, which Linksano quickly realized was quite often when they were in the same room together. He honestly couldn’t believe he’d been so dense before as to not notice how much Boffo looked in his direction. Boffo always seemed to be doing something when Linksano would come to find him, whether it be magic, acrobatics, or playing the piano, and he seemed to enjoy keeping busy. Even though he wasn’t a fighter, he worked out regularly and even did yoga with Ninja-Style Dancer, which made Linksano suspect he had a very well-toned body under his clown suit (not that he ever thought about it for more than a minute before becoming extremely flustered). Also, despite the gaudy color and outlandish style of his clothes, there was a sedate grace and dignity about his movements that proved oddly charming and made Boffo seem far older than his twenty-six years.

After Linksano realized he had been gazing at the other man in silence for a good three minutes, he wet his lips and opened them to speak. “Good morning, Boffo.”

Boffo turned around in surprise, then his smile widened and his eyes twinkled as he gave him a gentle wave. Linksano was quick to respond in kind, his cheeks burning even brighter after witnessing the happiness his arrival produced spread across Boffo’s face. Boffo suddenly reached for an already prepared mug and handed it to Linksano, steam gently wafting from the top. “Oh, I-I couldn’t, Boffo. Please, you go first.” Boffo shook his head and set the mug down for a moment, signing something with his hands. Linksano frowned. “I’m sorry, I-I don’t understand. Could you use your horn, perhaps?”

Boffo reached into his pockets and pulled them out, throwing his hands wide. “Oh, I see, you must have left it upstairs. And Pollo and Ninja-Style Dancer are nowhere to be found. Oh, dear…” Linksano bit his lip as he realized he would have difficulty communicating with Boffo. He hated situations like this; they always made him feel so awkward and dim-witted. Boffo also looked perturbed and set about searching the area for a pad of paper and a pen. Linksano bit his lip again as he watched him and felt even worse. He wanted to find some way to make up for this poor display, and then he was struck with an idea.

“Oh! W-wait, Boffo!” Boffo stopped and turned back to Linksano curiously. “Er, actually, Boffo, perhaps–if it isn’t too much of an inconvenience, of course-you could, er, tutor me, for lack of a better term? I try my best not to pass up the opportunity to learn new information that could enrich my mind, and it would be beneficial for us both if I learned how to communicate with you better instead of simply relying on you to carry the burden of always having to write your thoughts down when there are other, easier methods available… oh, dear me, I’m rambling again. Sorry, Boffo. Um, to sum up, will you teach me sign language, Boffo?”

Boffo’s eyes widened and Linksano felt a twinge in the pit of his stomach. “Oh, I’m sorry! I knew that was most likely too much of me to ask, but-” Boffo shook his head and suddenly smiled widely, nodding enthusiastically. “Oh, it would be okay with you? You’ll teach me, then? Marvelous!” Linksano exclaimed, feeling better. “Why don’t you meet me in my lab in an hour? I-if that’s okay with you?”

Boffo nodded once again and handed him the coffee mug. “Oh, very well. Thank you, Boffo. I appreciate this.” Linksano took a sip of his coffee as Boffo walked away and suddenly realized why Boffo refused to take the cup for himself–it was exactly the way Linksano liked it, two creams, two sugars.

"How on Earth did he know that-oh." Linksano remembered their visit to the cabin and how Boffo had offered him the perfect cup of cocoa too. "Perhaps Boffo has noticed quite a few things about me as well," He deduced, feeling a small flutter inside his chest.

\----

Boffo came into his lab right on time, this time equipped with his horn and even some of Ninja’s cards in case he needed them. His smile was so bright that his face seemed to radiate joy and his fingers twitched eagerly in anticipation of their lesson. It was plain to see that Boffo was very thrilled about Linksano asking him to be his teacher. So few people bothered to learn sign language if they didn’t need to and Boffo was touched by his desire to make communication between them easier, so he was happy to oblige. Besides, they hadn’t spent much time with just the two of them since their date a week ago, and Boffo was eager to be alone with his beau.

Linksano saw him approach and turned his subterfuge off, ready to give his full attention to the task at hand. Boffo gave a honk of his horn and looked delighted when he realized Linksano had donned a bow tie the color of a pumpkin for their lesson. He so enjoyed seeing the scientist in brighter colors and he couldn’t help gazing at him with a slightly dreamy expression until he realized Linksano was staring at him. Boffo blushed and looked away before honking out a question on his horn.

“Yes, Boffo, I am ready to begin. Thank you again for agreeing to help me with this. I shall do my best to understand this as much as I can.” Some of Linksano’s bashfulness in social interaction was abated thanks to his excitement to learn something new.

Boffo smiled and honked his horn again. “The alphabet? I see. Best to start with the basics, of course.”

Boffo put his horn into his pocket and made his hand into the symbol for ‘A.’ Linksano imitated it and Boffo nodded his head in approval. Linksano studied Boffo’s hand movements carefully as he helped him get through letters ‘A’ through ‘J’. After a second repetition, Boffo gestured to him so that Linksano could try on his own.

The clown was pleasantly surprised when he found that Linksano was able to sign them all without error on the first try, and gave him a round of polite applause. Linksano blushed. “Thank you. I-I was always a quick study. Please continue.”

Boffo moved on further, teaching him ‘K’ through ‘T’, but when Linksano got to ‘M’ and ‘N’, his hand fumbled and he mixed the two up. Boffo showed him again and Linksano repeated the set, once again switching ‘M’ and ‘N’. “Like this?” Boffo shook his head and Linksano frowned at his lack of cognizance. “How about now?” For the third time, he switched the finger placements for those two letters and let off a frustrated sigh as he stared down at his hand in annoyance. “Cursed memory. Why are you letting me down now?”

Without thinking much about it, Boffo signed the word ‘here’ and suddenly reached out to move Linksano’s fingers into the right place for ‘M’ and then ‘N’. Linksano immediately flushed bright red and fidgeted, still not used to having someone hold his hand, and he couldn’t help staring at it even after Boffo had moved his hands away. After a few moments, he realized that Boffo was still waiting patiently, and he shook his head to clear it. “Oh, I-I apologize for my distraction. Let me try again.”

This time Linksano managed to perform the set of letters flawlessly and he blushed once more with pride when Boffo again applauded his efforts. “I knew I could master it with your help,” Linksano muttered, the phantom touch of Boffo’s fingers still on his own.

Boffo smiled again and made the hand signs for their last set of letters, ‘U’ through ‘Z’ and Linksano paused for a moment before moving his fingers. “I, um I can’t seem to get it quite right for, er, ‘V’. And ‘X’. And, um for ‘Z’ as w-well. Would you mind… h-helping me again?” Boffo’s eyebrows rose slightly before he helped Linksano move his fingers into the proper positions for each letter. Linksano trembled slightly at their close proximity but still managed to smile. “T-thank you.” Boffo nodded in reply, and wondered if Linksano’s pulse was also racing as quickly as his was.

\----

In no time at all, Linksano had fully mastered the sign language alphabet, able to sign it forwards and even backwards without error. Boffo clapped his hands in true praise of this achievement and then wrote something on one of Ninja’s cards.

*You’ve gotten the alphabet down perfectly. Now I’d like to start teaching you basic phrases.* Linksano nodded and Boffo flipped the card over, writing something at the top of it. *Good morning.*

Boffo twirled his hands about and then lifted one hand up, watching as Linksano mimicked it. He wrote something else beneath it. *Good afternoon.*

The two continued like this until Linksano could manage to get through several greetings and pleasantries, simple questions and simple answers to those questions, and a method of apologizing, which Linksano insisted on learning just in case he accidentally signed a bad word to Boffo by mistake. Boffo had giggled at this thought before showing him ‘I’m sorry’, which Linksano often practiced when he thought Boffo wasn’t looking.

*You’re doing very well, Linksano. I’m impressed with how quickly you’re picking this up.* Linksano blushed and looked down, unaccustomed to Boffo’s never-ending compliments.

“Y-you’re being far too kind. I’m sure there’s much more that I need to learn.”

*I’m sure you will pick it up quickly. For now, I would like to introduce you to the concept of sign names.*

“Sign names?”

*Sign names are when a person’s name is assigned a particular symbol, since it would get very tiresome to sign out the letters of the person’s name each time.* Boffo demonstrated by swiftly signing L-I-N-K-S-A-N-O. *So, the person who is signing chooses a symbol to signify that person’s name.*

“Oh, how clever!” Linksano said with genuine interest. “What are your names for the others?”

L-I-N-K-A-R-A. Boffo made the symbol of a gun firing.

H-A-R-V-E-Y. Boffo placed his fist near his lips as if he were holding a microphone.

N-I-N-J-A. Boffo put his palm over his fist in the traditional way the Ninja did.

P-O-L-L-O. Boffo put his arms out in a robot pose.

90s K-I-D. Boffo made the rock and roll symbol the teen was prone to using.

80s D-A-N. Boffo mimed twisting a cap off a soda bottle.

Linksano looked impressed. “Those are rather well thought out. But what symbol do you have for me?”

L-I-N-K-S-A-N-O. Boffo curved his hands into goggles and placed them against his chest. Linksano smiled, looking satisfied with this.

“I’m f-flattered, Boffo,” he told him, unsure of why he was saying such a thing but feeling as though he should be. “But what is your sign name?” Boffo wrote on the card again.

*What do you think it should be?* Linksano paused for a few moments as he thought about this. Then he was struck with an idea.

B-O-F-F-O. Linksano imitated a horn being honked. Boffo smiled and chuckled, nodding his approval at this. Linksano smiled back, and Boffo couldn’t help but feel a surge of happiness at the proud look on the other man’s face.

\----

Several hours had passed, and by now Linksano was able to sign numerous words, phrases, and could even carry on a full conversation in sign language if the subject matter wasn’t too complex. There were still words that Boffo had to explain, but Boffo was thoroughly impressed with how fast Linksano had picked up the language. True, he supposed a scientific genius would pick it up faster than most people, but there must’ve been something else driving Linksano to pick it up so quickly.

 _You’ve done very well, Linksano._ Boffo signed to him, smiling kindly. _Shall we take a break? It’s almost time for dinner._

“Yes, Boffo,” Linksano signed back, speaking along with his words. “I would like a break. After you.” The two traveled up the stairs and met up with the rest of the team who were lounging around in the living room.

90s Kid was on the phone, talking in swift, somewhat accented Spanish. Linksano’s eyebrows rose at the sight and he noticed the others were also looking on with interest and giving the teen occasional glances as he spoke. Finally, 90s Kid closed his flip phone and grinned at the team. “Tacos are on their way!”

“When I told you to order dinner, Junior, I didn’t think you’d be able to do it like that,” Harvey told him, sounding impressed. “Where’d you learn it?”

“Oh, I needed to translate my totally awesome answering machine for the Rob Liefeld fan club, and the rest I remember from, like, high school and junk. I know enough to get around,” 90s Kid said dismissively as he put the take-out menu back in the drawer, flopped down on the couch, and picked up his comic book.

“It’s always handy to know another language.” Linkara said, feeling a surge of admiration mixed with slight jealousy. “Let’s see: 90s Kid knows Spanish, Harvey knows French and Italian, Ninja-Style Dancer knows Japanese among others, Pollo can translate any Earth language into any other Earth language, and Boffo can sign. I guess Linksano and I are the only ones who haven’t picked up another tongue.”

“On the contrary, Linkara,” Linksano told him, signing along with his words. “Boffo’s been spending the day teaching me sign language, and for your information, I can also speak Latin.”

“Ooh, Latin, that must get you out of many tight spots in day to day situations.” Linkara said with a roll of his eyes before going back to his own comic. Linksano cackled to himself as he sat down on the couch beside 90s Kid. Boffo took the armchair, folding his hands contentedly as they waited for their dinner to arrive, and noticing with joy how Linksano’s fingers kept curling into several signs, his name in particular.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Harvey and Linkara were curled up on the couch together. Harvey had his DS in his hands and Linkara was reading another comic while occasionally peering over his shoulder. “Use the second item on the drop down box.”

“Backseat gamer,” Harvey quipped, earning himself a smirk and a slight nip on the neck that made him grin.

Linksano suddenly staggered into the room, puffing a little as he held a large stack of books in his hands which were barely steadied under his chin.

“Hey, doc, you need some help with those?” Harvey asked.

“I-I have it, t-thank you.” Linksano spoke with some degree of difficulty. “I was just on my way to the library.”

Harvey frowned. “You just checked those out three days ago. Are you giving up already?”

“No, no - I finished them all.”

Linkara looked up in shock. “You read seventeen books in three days?!”

Linksano shrugged as best he could without spilling the books. “I know it’s not up to my usual speed level, but I couldn’t resist re-reading a few of them. I do so love works about gauge field theory! I already know much about the subject, but they’re like comforting bedtime stories, in a way!”

Linkara shook his head and went back to his reading. “And I thought this 42-page comic was taking me forever to finish.”

Linksano tried to make his way toward the door and fumbled blindly for the handle. He was surprised when Boffo approached him and opened the door for him. “Oh! Thank you, Boffo.”

 _May I help you?_ Boffo asked, holding out his hands. Linksano blushed and gave a slight shake of his head.

“Oh, no, I’m alright, though you are k-kind to offer. I have it quite steadily–oh, dear!” Linksano’s arms buckled and his grip loosened automatically, allowing some of the books to tumble out of his grip. However, Boffo quickly stretched out his arms and caught them all before they could fall. “M-my goodness! Nice catch, Boffo! You can hand those back to me if you’d like.”

Boffo shook his head and slid them under his arm so he could sign. _I can help you carry these. May I accompany you to the library?_

“Y-you… you want to…” Linksano blushed and stammered for a moment before he caught sight of Harvey nodding rapidly at him and mouthing ‘Say yes!’ “You think so?” Linksano found himself murmuring back before catching himself. “I mean, y-yes, of course you can! I-I think it might make for a nice time, don’t you?” Boffo nodded eagerly and quickly added a few more books to his pile, enough so that he and Linksano could actually look at each other as they made their way out the door, the clown shutting it behind them.

Harvey chuckled to himself, going back to his game. “I’ve been getting a kick out of watching the doc lately.”

“Going to be giving him some of your patented romance advice?” Linkara asked, gazing at him over his comic book. Harvey shrugged slightly, his fingers deftly pushing buttons.

“I don’t see the harm. I don’t think I’ve ever steered you wrong, Kid.” He gave Linkara a wink and shot him a crooked smile. Then he started mentally counting to himself. “3, 2, 1…” Harvey smiled when, as if on cue, Linkara tossed his comic book to the table and leaned over to claim his mouth passionately.

\-----

Linksano and Boffo laid the tall stack of books on the library counter upon entering. “Good morning, Mrs. Whiting.” Linksano told her. “I’m returning these.”

“You go through books in no time flat, Doctor,” she told him with a knowing smile. “I was wondering when I’d see you back. Oh, and it’s good to see you as well, Boffo.” She waved at the clown, who waved back. “There are some new selections in the children’s section. Check the cart nearest to the story time area.”

Boffo smiled and nodded his thanks before setting off to inspect what new books were available for check out. Linksano adjusted the mustard yellow bow tie he was fortunate to have found in the glove compartment of his car before he went toward the classics section and ran a gloved finger over the binds of the books there. After a few moments of browsing, he felt a body appear beside him and turned to find Boffo, who was carrying some books in his hands. “Oh, did you find something, Boffo?”

Boffo held them out and Linksano looked over them, seeing that they were all children’s books. “Do you read all of these to the children at the hospital?” he wondered as he ran his fingers over A Wrinkle in Time, one of his childhood favorites.

 _They read to me._ Boffo replied. _It’s actually very encouraging to have them be the ones reading. It helps them gain better cognitive skills and increases their confidence._

“Really? What a good idea. You certainly seem to know a lot about children,” Linksano murmured, wishing that he was able to relate to that a little more, but he knew close to nothing about children. His eyes scanned back toward the shelves as he searched for a topic of conversation he was more confident about, and smiled as his gaze landed on one book in particular. “Ah, here’s one of my favorites! Have you read this one, Boffo?”

Linksano plucked it from the shelf and handed it to Boffo, who inspected it to see that it was George Orwell's Animal Farm. Boffo shook his head. “You haven’t? Oh, it’s quite an illuminating story! I read it years ago, when I was in sixth grade, I believe. It was written when a wartime alliance with the Soviet Union was at its height, and the author tells the story with animals leading a revolt against humans. It portrays corrupt leadership as the flaw in revolution, rather than the act of revolution itself being flawed, and–oh no, I’m doing it again. I-I’m so sorry for rambling on like that.”

Linksano blushed and looked away, wringing his hands. He thought he knew better than to bore people with his thoughts on books, a phrase he had often heard in his youth, so he put the book back on the shelf as if it would prevent him from talking about it by not seeing it. He paused though when he saw Boffo’s smile.

_I don’t mind when you ramble. I like hearing you talk about books; you made it sound very interesting._

“R-really?” Linksano asked him, honestly surprised. “I thought that I might be bothering you by talking about it so much. Really, I can be quite boring if people don’t shut me up sometimes.”

 _I’d never ask you to do that. I like it when you talk about things you’re interested in. Like we did on New Year’s Eve. I really enjoyed talking with you then._ Boffo signed with a smile.

“Oh. Y-yes, I enjoyed that as well.” Linksano’s lips twitched up and his cheeks got redder, which Boffo couldn’t help but find adorable. The scientist looked to the shelf again and his eyes twinkled as he gazed upon the books once again. “I spent a lot of time in the library when I was young. Going back and looking at all these books, it’s like revisiting old friends in a way.”

_I’m not surprised to hear you were a bookworm. What kinds of stories did you like best?_

“Oh, I’d read anything I could find, really, although I admit I preferred books about science, both fiction and non,” Linksano replied, finding the words coming out easily. “You know, I remember every book I’ve ever read.” Linksano picked another one up off the shelf, David Copperfield. "This was in fourth grade, when I went through a huge Dickens phase. The first one I read by him in fact! I gobbled it up and went back to check out everything else they had by him on the shelf.”

He slid it back in and walked over to another section, almost lost in a world of his own, though Boffo was right at his side. “This one is a little more obscure,” Linksano said, sliding out a copy of Hiroshima Diary. “This is a true diary from a doctor responding to the Hiroshima disaster. I read this my sophomore year of high school, when I was already eager to prep for medical school. Hearing his thoughts on the patient’s wounds and how he treated them was fascinating, though chilling in parts.”

Boffo looked at him with interest as Linksano put it back. “But of course, classics weren’t the only thing I enjoyed. As I said, I was quite the science-fiction buff growing up, and was a fan of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Star Trek novelizations, Stranger in a Strange Land… oh goodness, those were my high school world…” Linksano waggled his head nostalgically, a soft smile on his face as he recalled warm summer days and cold winter nights when he could be found curled up with a good book. “Oh, but I’m being rude by talking on so long. What did you enjoy reading, Boffo?”

 _Believe it or not, I was very big on poetry._ Boffo told him. _While I did enjoy things like Chaucer, my favorites were in the works by James Thurber and Shel Silverstein. I love works of humor, anything with a fractured take on life that could make one laugh. I read a lot of books by comedians, and I was always a fan of children’s stories. Fairy tales were also something I never really grew out of._

Linksano looked very interested when Boffo mentioned Chaucer, and then thought about his other likes before nodding. It made sense for Boffo to enjoy sweet things like poetry and comedic books, and while he normally would’ve dismissed fairy tales as an interest that adults shouldn’t have, he couldn’t help but find it an endearing trait in Boffo.

Linksano and Boffo walked down another aisle of books before looking toward the shelves once again. “Ah! It’s been ages since I’ve read this one!” Linksano reached for a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo. “I adored this book! I remember writing a lengthy essay on it for extra credit my freshman year of high school. My teacher was so taken with it that she assigned essays to all the other students and oh did I regret it in gym class later that day…” Linksano grimaced slightly as he recalled being pummeled with dozens of dodgeballs. “But it was quite a marvelous tale, and one that I’ve neglected to visit again. I think I’ll read this one tonight.”

He placed the book under his arm and Boffo, who had looked concerned by Linksano’s grimace, suddenly had a thought. _Do you enjoy visiting museums, Linksano?_

Linksano blinked and nodded his head enthusiastically. “Of course!”

_Tomorrow’s Friday, so it’s free day at the art museum if you’d like to go. I love looking at paintings and sculptures. I think they’re very calming, yet stimulating as well. Would you go with me?_

“I would love to!” Linksano exclaimed, already feeling very excited at the prospect.

_Wonderful! I think it will make a lovely first date for us as a couple!_

“Oh… this wasn’t our first date? As a couple, I mean.” Linksano said, his face falling slightly. Boffo tilted his head in confusion and Linksano suddenly gripped the book in his hands before looking down slightly. “Well, of c-course it wasn’t, it was silly of me to think that this could c-count as a d-date…” Linksano couldn’t help but see countless old classmates standing around him, pointing and laughing and calling him a dork. He tugged pathetically on his bow tie and Boffo noticed, his expression softening into a smile.

_Is that why you put that on?_

“Well y-yes, of course,” Linksano said, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. “You’re supposed to dress up for a… well, I suppose it doesn’t matter, since it wasn’t…”

 _Actually, I was wrong._ Boffo suddenly signed as he smiled warmly at Linksano. _I think coming here was a lovely first date for us as a couple! I really enjoyed coming to the library and discussing books with you. I feel like I’ve learned more about you, and you me, and doesn’t doing that and having a good time constitute a date?_

“Well, yes, I suppose that’s true…” Linksano murmured, looking up again. “So, you don’t mind it, then? That this is our, um official first d-date as a couple?”

 _Not at all. Thank you for a wonderful date, Linksano._ Boffo told him, patting his arm. _I am positive our second date will be wonderful too._

“I agree.” Linksano told him, smiling back and feeling very relieved with the world as they walked to the checkout desk together.

\----

The following evening, Boffo and Linksano could be found walking through the halls of the art museum, and quite easily at that, since they stopped and gazed at every painting they had to offer. Linksano hadn’t been to an art museum in quite some time, but he did find himself having fun, since he found art to be a wonderfully intellectual pastime. “I’m sure 90s Kid would love to come here one day.”

 _Perhaps, if he could stand still long enough._ Boffo joked good-naturedly. _I think he enjoys creating the art more. There are such vibrant colors in some of these paintings._ He walked toward one on the wall and admired it. _Splashes of color can make anything less dreary._

“I-I’m glad you agree.” Linksano told him, before fidgeting slightly as Boffo smiled at him and gave a gentle tug to his forest green bow tie. Just like every other time he wore one, Boffo thought the fashion choice adorable. “Do you have any particular paintings that you enjoy, Boffo?”

_Yes. I enjoy seeing ‘A Sunday on La Grande Jatte’ by Seurat, since I love performing in the park. ‘Water Lilies’ by Monet is quite lovely due to the vibrant colors, and I’ve often admired Picasso’s work. I like the abstract. I also enjoy paintings of children at play._

“I’m not surprised,” Linksano commented, smiling as Boffo blushed a bit.

_I know I sound like a broken record at times._

“Not at all. Your honest affection for children is rather sweet,” Linksano said, feeling pleased as Boffo blushed more before deciding to change the topic. “I’ve often found myself to be a fan of Salvador Dali’s work.” Linksano told him, looking over at a clay sculpture behind velvet rope. “Perhaps it comes with the territory of being a mad scientist, but I like the surreal, the bizarre, and the somewhat frightening sometimes when it comes to art.” He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of triumph when he saw a light of interest in Boffo’s eyes.

The two spent several more hours in the museum, talking and sharing different viewpoints on paintings and sculptures they saw. Afterwards, when the lights dimmed and they knew it was time to leave, they walked along the street back to the parking garage where an ice cream cart stood. Linksano saw Boffo’s face light up at the sight.

“Would you care to join me in a frozen treat?” Boffo nodded enthusiastically and soon was indulging in a Neapolitan cone, while Linksano got one of peanut butter-fudge. They carried their treats to a park bench and the conversation quieted as they enjoyed their cones.

“Thank you for taking me to the museum, Boffo,” Linksano said after licking a bit of fudge from his lips. “I had a wonderful time.” Boffo smiled.

_It was my pleasure. I’m glad you enjoyed yourself._

Linksano was struck with a thought. “Since you have shown me your love of the artistic, perhaps I could take you to another museum tomorrow and show you my love of the scientific? Oh, dear, that sounded awful, didn’t it?” He flushed as he thought of how cheesy he must’ve come across, but Boffo patted his arm gently.

_I would like that. I know you enjoy science and there’s so much I haven’t learned about it. Please let me go with you._

“O-of course! There’s n-nobody else I would think to invite!” Linksano stammered out shyly. He continued to eat his ice cream and, though he turned his head away in embarrassment, he managed to reach out and take Boffo’s hand in his for a few moments, squeezing gently. He couldn’t bring himself to look back and didn’t notice how wide Boffo’s smile had grown, but he did feel when Boffo squeezed back.

\-----

Linksano breathed much easier on their next date, since he always felt very at-home at the science museum. Admission was no problem, since he had a season pass that he never failed to renew, one which allowed him many privileges within the building, such as exclusive exhibits, first pick at seats for films, and tours of normally blocked off wings that were only privy to those who were interested enough to indulge.

Boffo couldn’t help but feel like he was traveling with some sort of celebrity as they walked through the museum, since many of the staff greeted Linksano by name and informed him of various changes and new features going on. Though it slightly bewildered him, he was more than a little impressed. Linksano had the biggest grin on his face as he walked around and explored and he looked especially adorable in his navy blue bowtie with white polka dots.

“I love this museum. No offense intended to your choice of venue yesterday, Boffo, but I greatly enjoy a place that encourages you to be more hands-on. Being able to touch and investigate is an essential part of scientific exploration. Ah, the experiments I did as a lad! I remember disassembling my father’s old shaver and managing to get it to work as good as new within one afternoon, taking apart the toaster to adjust the settings, even managing to make an indestructible case to keep my lunch money safe.” As he chattered away, free of self-consciousness as he talked about his one true passion in life, Boffo watched him happily and soaked in every word Linksano said. He always wanted to remember how joyful he looked at this moment in time.

“Oooh, these are always fun!” Linksano scampered over to an exhibit and reached for the wires. “These reflect some of my earliest endeavors into electricity! You merely connect the ends to make the light bulb turn-on! It’s quite simple, really, but I can never resist doing it every time I’m here. Go on, Boffo, you give it a try!”

Boffo felt slightly nervous as he reached toward the exhibit, not wanting to screw something up that was supposedly so simple, but he felt proud of himself when he managed to make the light bulb glow without error. “Did you know there’s been a light bulb burning continuously since 1901? It’s located in northern California and it was designed by Aldolphe Chaliet, who competed with Edison to make a better bulb. Chaliet’s bulbs proved to survive higher voltages, but he was never quite as popular as Edison and-oh dear, I’m rambling again. Sorry.”

Linksano flushed and walked toward the next exhibit, Boffo following along behind him. He tapped the embarrassed scientist on the shoulder and smiled. _To me, you’re not rambling at all. Please keep going. I really am interested. Why was he never as popular as Edison?_

Linksano smiled back and took a breath before continuing. “Well, Edison was a bit of a bully. He was rich and powerful, so naturally he could afford to be ahead in the competition. Edison did not invent the light bulb; he was merely the first to learn how to sell the light bulb. Edison was only in it for the money, and he wasn’t above doing things such as electrocuting animals in order to stay ahead in business.” Boffo looked shocked by the revelation and Linksano nodded gravely.

“Ah, yes. He paid schoolboys quarters to bring him stray dogs and cats so he could prove Nikola Tesla’s alternating current system was unsafe compared to Edison’s direct current system. You can still see the strip of him electrocuting a live elephant from Edison’s film collection. So, Edison does not hold very much regard for me. Tesla was a far kinder man, and also very much in it for the science.”

_What else did Tesla accomplish?_

“Many things! He invented the modern technology known as radar, and he also discovered X-rays, so remember that next time you’re at the hospital! Tesla was also smart enough to know that medical experimenting with X-rays was dangerous, but Edison refused to listen. He was such an imbecile he fired the X-rays right into his own eyes! He also killed one of his employees by exposing him to so much radiation he needed to have his arms amputated before eventually succumbing to mediastinal cancer!”

Linksano realized his voice was rising and he hastily quieted down so the other patrons would quit staring. “Erm, well, to sum up, Edison was quite the CEO, but he was never a scientist, nor was he an inventor. If one would merely do more research to try and find the others who invented and pioneered such technology, they can finally get the recognition they so richly deserved.”

Boffo smiled at him, his eyes bright and intrigued. _You know so very much about all these things, Linksano. I’m impressed._

“Oh, it-it’s nothing you should be very impressed over,” Linksano said bashfully, tinkering with some of the knobs on a test area. “A-any fool who picked up a book or did proper research could know these things. I just tend to take it more seriously than most, that’s all.”

_Having passion about things is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s refreshing to see in a time where nobody seems to care about anything._

Linksano found that oddly poignant, a smile coming across his lips. He looked around and, feeling daring, he managed to reach out and awkwardly put his arms around Boffo’s torso, pressing their chests together for a few seconds before letting go and wandering off to another area. Boffo barely had time to return the embrace before being let go, but to him it felt like the hug had gone on much longer. He blushed and closed his eyes, remembering the feeling of Linksano’s arms around him, before happily following after the scientist and listening to more of his lessons.


	3. Chapter 3

When Boffo and Linksano walked back into the apartment, Harvey and Linkara were lounging on the couch with their DSes and trading Pokémon. “Hey you kids, how’d it go?” Harvey asked, turning his head to greet them.

“Oh, we had a marvelous time!” Linksano told him, grinning wider than they had seen him do in a long while. “They had all sorts of delightful gadgets to tinker with and I even got myself some more magnets from the gift shop to add to my collection!” He held up the bag in his hand. “Did you have a good time, Boffo?”

 _I did. Thank you very much for taking me._ Boffo signed with a smile. Harvey and Linkara couldn’t quite understand the movements, but they got the gist of it from the look on Boffo’s face.

“Well then, perhaps you’d like to go out with me again tomorrow?” Linksano asked, feeling relaxed enough to ask.

“Hey, easy there, doc,” Harvey began, setting his game down and putting his hands up. “Give him some time to miss you.”

_That sounds wonderful!_

“Ah, splendid! Perhaps you’d enjoy getting dinner somewhere? Around six, perhaps?”

“Who goes out to dinner at six? Dinner dates shouldn’t be any earlier than eight.” Harvey protested, but this was ignored.

_Six sounds perfect. I think I know just the place in mind._

“Good! I look forward to seeing what you pick.”

“The person who extends the invitation needs to choose the place!” Harvey looked positively scandalized at the increasingly out-of-hand situation.

“Well, I must go sort these magnets now. I’ll see you later, Boffo!” Boffo waved to him and traveled up the stairs as Linksano went down to his lab. Harvey leaned back against the couch and raised his arms in defeat.

“Damn it, does nobody know how to properly romance someone anymore? They’re not following the rules!” Linkara tried his best not to giggle at the look on Harvey’s face.

“Oh, relax, Harvey, you know Linksano’s new at this. Besides, I don’t think Boffo takes rules all that seriously. He’s just happy to be out with him. But if it makes you feel better, I’ll always follow the rules for you.”

“Well, still, it just doesn’t sit right with me.” Harvey crossed his arms and Linkara thought he looked like a petulant child. “These things need to be done right. Maybe I should give him some advice.”

Linkara couldn’t help snickering. “Good luck. I don’t see him taking it.”

Harvey raised an eyebrow at him. “You don’t think I can make a romancer out of him?”

“I don’t think anybody could make a romancer out of him. Besides, don’t you enjoy being the only great romantic in this place?” Linkara asked, leaning in and pushing his lips out slightly for a kiss. Harvey rolled his eyes at him and picked up his game once again. Linkara let out a mock injured sigh. “Oh, fine, don’t kiss me.”

Linkara scooted backwards to the end of the couch and picked up his DS, continuing the trade. Harvey shot him a sideways glance after a few moments and then leaned over his long body with a grin. “You know I can’t resist you when you play coy with me,” he murmured before giving Linkara a deep kiss.

\-----

Linksano fastened his aquamarine bow tie around his neck in the bathroom and looked startled when Harvey entered. “Hey! Can’t a man get a little privacy around here?”

“What, you’re decent! Except for that thing, of course.” Harvey said, pointing at the bow tie until his hand was batted away. “C’mon, doc, I just wanna help you out! I know you wanna try and put the moves on Chuckles and I know just the way to do it.”

“M-moves?” Linksano flushed bright red as he thought of what that would entail. “Oh, I-I already know all about those, of course! I’ve been very adept at that knowledge ever since I was a young boy! I know all about, erm… winking, and er, hand-holding and… t-things that… people do in these s-situations.”

Harvey’s lips twitched and he tried to keep from chuckling at what the scientist considered ‘moves’, but decided not to push the issue. “Here, if you’re not gonna change your duds, you at least gotta smell nice. Try this.” He reached into the medicine cabinet for a bottle of his favorite cologne.

“No cologne!” Linksano immediately exclaimed, taking a step back. “I smell perfectly fine, thank you!”

“C’mon, just a little bit!”

“No! It upsets my allergies, get it away from me!” He tried to back up further, wishing that they had a larger bathroom. Harvey uncovered the sprayer and tried to get him to hold still.

“Just one little spritz and then I’ll leave ya alone!” He sprayed some near Linksano’s neck and was startled at the huge coughing fit from the doctor before Linksano started sneezing several times in rapid succession. “What the hell?”

“I told you!” Linksano choked out in a raspy voice. “You couldn’t keep your insipid spray away from me and now you’ve-” he paused to sneeze some more, “-given me such a reaction! Now I need to go-atchoo!-give myself an allergy shot, so thank you very much, Finevoice!”

Linksano stormed out of the bathroom and Harvey stared at the bottle in surprise. “Just tryin’ to help…” he muttered before dabbing a little on his neck and wrists. Linkara saw the open bathroom door and strolled up.

“I saw Linksano heading down to his lab and ranting about something. He mentioned your name so I didn’t know if – mmm…” Linkara caught the smell in the air and moved into Harvey’s embrace. “You smell terrific…” he kissed at Harvey’s neck and the singer grinned, setting the bottle down and returning the embrace fully.

“Ah, who cares what the doc thinks. I’m glad I got someone who appreciates my taste.”

“I certainly do, Harvey.” Harvey grinned and kicked the door shut, locking it before hopping up onto the counter.

\-----

Boffo pulled into the restaurant that he had chosen and the two exited the car. _You were a bit quiet on the way over. Is everything alright?_

“Oh, y-yes!” Linksano hastily told him, hurrying over to hold the door for him. “I’ve just been trying to think, mainly.” Boffo passed through the door and tapped his chin in thanks.

_What about?_

“Mainly about what is expected on excursions such as this,” he admitted, embarrassed. “I’m, er, not very experienced when it comes to fine dining, especially not in a d-dating situation… or even in a friendship situation, since I’ve usually only been to dinner with my family in the past, and the occasional stop at Dairy Queen with Linkara and the others, which is in no way fine dining despite what Linkara claims… so I just hope I don’t, um, do something foolish.”

Boffo looked at him with slight surprise and felt a strong surge of affection for him. He looked at Linksano, with his averted gaze and pink cheeks, the dorky bow tie that didn’t match the rest of his clothes at all, the way he was clearly trying so hard and yet had zero experience when it came to dating or romance. Yes, there was definitely a reason that he had such a crush on this man.

He smiled and put a light hand on Linksano’s arm. _You’ll do fine. Just be yourself and have fun._

“If you say so. But being myself hasn’t gotten me many points in life...” Linksano murmured as the two approached the hostess. They were quickly seated and Linksano frowned when the waiter left with their drink orders. “That’s odd. He seems to have forgotten our menus.”

 _Oh, there aren’t menus here._ Boffo quickly explained. _Instead of ordering one type of food, they bring out little dishes from all over the world for you to sample. That way if you don’t enjoy one meal, you can try another, and maybe discover a whole new type of cuisine that you never thought you’d like before._ Boffo blushed when he realized Linksano was staring at him blankly and his fingers shook as he continued signing. _That’s why I wanted to come. I thought it would be fun to try all these different foods. I didn’t know what kind of meal was your favorite, so I didn’t want to pick the wrong place. Is that okay? I probably should have asked you first if this was okay. I’m sorry, Linksano._

“Oh! N-no, you don’t have to apologize,” Linksano said, instantly recognizing the sign and feeling guilty over Boffo feeling the need to use it. “I-I wasn’t upset by this information at all! I was merely thinking it over, since I don’t think I’ve ever been to restaurant such as this before. I, um, tend to look rather serious when I’m thinking, so I should be the one apologizing for worrying you like that,” he finished, glancing down awkwardly. Boffo shook his head and squeezed his arm gently.

_We really have to work on this over-apologizing habit of ours. He signed before laughing a little. If we’re not careful, we’ll spend half of every date apologizing to each other and I think that might get boring._

“I suppose you’re right,” Linksano agreed, his gaze unable to leave the hand on his arm. “I am going to do my best to relax and enjoy myself as you’ve suggested, Boffo.”

 _Yes, I will as well._ Boffo noticed Linksano staring at his hand but this time, instead of sheepishly pulling it away, he gave it another squeeze and watched with delight as Linksano shivered. Then Boffo blushed when he realized the waiter had returned with their first round of dishes and was staring at him rather intensely, before withdrawing his arm at once.

“Ooh, do these Summer Rolls come with peanut sauce?” Linksano asked in excitement when he took in the Vietnamese dish. The waiter nodded. “Excellent!” he cackled, clapping his hands with glee before reaching out to grab one. The waiter made a hasty retreat.

As the night went on, Linksano loosened up considerably. He realized that he had already succeeded in three wonderful dates with Boffo, and that Boffo seemed genuinely happy to be spending time with him. They continued to eat, drink, and be merry as they explored the numerous delicious exotic dishes laid before them, and Linksano felt that he was talking and laughing with much greater ease than ever before. By the time they’d finished their tres leches cake bites and sesame candy, they were both stuffed to the gills but happier than ever and adamant about returning to the restaurant again for another date. Boffo insisted on paying the check, even though Linksano felt he should be responsible since he was the one who’d invited him out to begin with, but the clown would have none of it.

 _The next time we come you can pay._ Boffo decided. _Especially if you’re going to devour all the peanut dishes before I can have more than a bite._ He giggled then, showing Linksano he was teasing, and luckily the scientist was so happy that he didn’t feel a bit of panic that Boffo might be truly upset with him.

“Alright, that seems fair. Say, do you think we should inform the others about this wonderful spot you’ve found?”

 _If you’d like to, I have no problem with that. Although I was thinking maybe it could be our special spot that we didn’t share with anyone?_ Boffo tried to seem casual as he asked that but when Linksano smiled and nodded, his heart soared with glee.

“I like that idea, Boffo. We should keep it our special place. Besides, we all know Linkara wouldn’t eat any of those dishes unless he was tortured anyway.”

Boffo’s shoulders shook as he laughed and Linksano almost reached out to squeeze his arm this time, but the waiter’s untimely appearance had him halting this action. For now.

The two walked into the base later that night to find 90s Kid playing Nintendo 64 with Linkara, while Harvey and Ninja-Style Dancer were lounging about and observing. “Ha! I told you Rainbow Road was totally my course, dude!”

“Oh, screw you. I saw you grab the good controller,” Linkara grumbled, not losing very gracefully. Harvey rolled his eyes and then looked toward the pair who had just entered.

“Hey kids, how was your date?” Linksano smiled.

“Wonderful, thank you.” He turned toward Boffo, who nodded gladly.

 _Yes, I had a lovely time._ Boffo and Linksano took off their coats and made themselves comfortable in the living room.

“Sorry again about that cologne snafu earlier,” Harvey said.

“Don’t worry about it,” Linksano dismissed, not wanting to recall that at the moment.

*If you needed to borrow cologne you should have come to me. I am the romance expert in this place.*

“Oh, is that so, twinkle toes?” While Harvey and Ninja-Style Dancer started bickering about that, Linksano tuned them out and looked to the screen, watching the race a moment.

“Can I play winner?”

“Sorry, dude, Ninja’s already called it. But you can go after.” Linksano seemed satisfied with this and relaxed. “So, this is, like, your third date, right?”

Linksano blushed, unaccustomed to having his personal life discussed, but shook his head. “Actually, this is our fourth date as an official couple.” 90s Kid nodded and smiled almost wistfully, still keeping his eyes on the screen.

“That’s awesome.”

*Oh, I thought it was your third as well.* Ninja-Style Dancer told them, deciding it wasn’t worth arguing with a man as stubborn as Harvey. *Where did you two have your first date, if you don’t mind my asking?*

“Oh, at the library.” Harvey suddenly looked at Linksano, startled.

“The library? What the hell kind of first date is that?” Linksano frowned at him.

“What’s wrong with the library?”

“First dates have gotta be better than that! The Kid and I had a great first date, remember that restaurant I took you out to?” He grinned at Linkara, who nodded before his smile grew mischievous.

“Yeah, and I also remember a little place we went before that-”

“One more word outta you and that cord goes around your neck,” Harvey threatened, though this just made Linkara giggle. In desperation, he turned to 90s Kid. “C’mon, Junior, back me up, first dates have gotta be better than that, right?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, totally!” 90s Kid agreed, still maneuvering the joystick with his thumb, his other thumb leaden on the A button. “My first date with Dan was totally awesome!”

“There, see, he knows what I mean! So, where’d you two go?”

“We went out for pizza!” 90s Kid replied happily. Linkara and Linksano burst out laughing and even Boffo covered his mouth to hide his smile. Harvey growled and glared at Linkara, who could tell that he would be paying for that later (and loving every minute of it).

 _As much fun as this is, I am getting tired._ Boffo said a little while later, standing up. _Linksano, would you mind walking me upstairs?_

Linksano blushed, seeing the amused smiles of the others, but nodded and rose to his feet. “Y-yes, of course. After you, Boffo.”

The two traveled toward Boffo’s room and then they paused there for a few moments. _I had a great time with you tonight._

Linksano nodded, reaching out and taking Boffo’s hand. “I did too. I-I’m really glad you came out with me.” Boffo squeezed his hand and they quietly smiled at each other for a while. Finally, Linksano spoke. “I… I’m so very glad that you… were honest with me a few weeks ago.”

Boffo’s eyes widened slightly and he felt his own cheeks redden again. _I’ve felt that way about you for a long time._

Linksano looked down, but refused to let go of Boffo’s hand. “I-it’s getting late. I think I’ll be turning in now as well. But I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Boffo smiled. _Naturally._

Linksano looked back up at him and turned his head about to make sure nobody was watching. Then he let go of Boffo’s hand and leaned in to wrap his arms around his torso once again, still doing so rather awkwardly. His heart beat swiftly, but he calmed down when Boffo wrapped his arms around him as well. Instead of letting go immediately, he managed to hold on for a few moments and when he finally pulled back, both of them were blushing heavily.

Linksano smiled. “Well, erm… good night.”

Boffo smiled back at him. _Good night._

\-----

A few days later, Linksano was sitting on the couch watching Mythbusters when Boffo walked up to him and held out a plate. “W-what is this?”

_It’s a sandwich._

“Well, I know that, but why do you need me to inspect it for you?”

_It’s your lunch. I made it for you._

“Oh! Y-you didn’t need to go into that much trouble! Thank you!” He hastily took the plate from Boffo, mentally scolding himself for not realizing sooner. “I-I see you knew that I prefer triangles! Very well angled, I must say! Almost too p-perfect to consume, but naturally I shall, Boffo!” He quickly started eating so his babbling would stop as Boffo went to go get a drink for him.

As he felt the peanut butter start to pleasantly overwhelm his mouth, Linksano felt oddly touched at how helpful and nurturing Boffo was. He had always known that Boffo was that sort of person, but he wasn’t used to having such kindness directed at himself so often. “I guess I’ll have to get used to this if I want to keep dating him…" He smiled as Boffo came back with some lemonade. “…but I can think of worse things one must get used to.”

Boffo sat next to him on the couch and reached for the TV Guide on the table, flipping through it. He sat up straighter when he read something that caught his eye, and Linksano noticed. “What is it, Boffo?” he asked after swallowing.

 _My favorite movie is on tonight._ He handed the TV Guide to Linksano and pointed. The scientist saw what he was referring to and his eyebrow rose.

“The Wizard of Oz, that’s your favorite movie? That makes sense since it contains plenty of colors, music, and is a film beloved by children the world over.” Linksano smiled when he saw Boffo nod and fidget with happiness. “I enjoyed it very much when I was younger.”

_Would you like to stay in tonight and watch it with me?_

Linksano’s face brightened at the prospect. In spite of how much he enjoyed going out with Boffo, the thought of relaxing and staying in sounded very exciting to him. “I’d like that very much.” He took another bite of his sandwich and a plan started to form in his brain.

\-----

Later that evening, the lights in the living room were dimmed and the TV was on but muted, waiting to begin the movie. Boffo was sitting on the couch eagerly, glad that his favorite film was being aired once again, since it had been far too long since he’d got to see it. He noticed that Linksano was tinkering with things in the kitchen, and then his eyebrows rose when he saw the doctor, now sporting a pale violet bow tie, entering while carrying a tray.

_What’s this?_

“I-I figured I’d return the favor from earlier and handle the snacks for this evening.” Linksano set the tray down on the table to reveal popcorn, glasses of punch, and even some bags of candy. He sat down and handed Boffo a bag of Skittles before taking some peanut M&Ms for himself. “I hope this is, er, acceptable.”

 _How did you know these were my favorite?_ Boffo asked, gladly tearing open the bag. _Very appropriate for this movie as well._

“I-I thought so too!” Linksano said, his cheeks reddening, but thankfully Boffo couldn’t tell in the dimly lit room. “Oh, the film’s starting.” Boffo un-muted the television and they got themselves comfortable, quiet except for periodic munching sounds.

Linksano found himself so engrossed in the film that he was startled enough to almost jump off the sofa when he felt a pressure on his shoulder. He turned his head slightly and saw that Boffo was resting his head there, a quiet smile on his lips. He blushed furiously, not used to such intimate contact, and couldn’t figure out what he was supposed to do in this situation.

 _Sorry, I’m just feeling a bit tired. I hope this is okay._ Boffo glanced shyly up at Linksano as he wondered whether he’d moved too fast once again.

“O-oh no, it’s quite alright!” Linksano squeaked out in a high-pitched voice. He took a few breaths and calmed down quickly enough before closing his eyes and relishing the feeling of Boffo’s head resting against him.

After a few minutes, Linksano hesitantly reached his hand out and placed it on Boffo’s knee. He laid it there for a little bit and wondered what he was supposed to do with it, but then he felt Boffo’s gloved hand rest over his and he smiled, a soft flutter rising in his chest. The sounds emerging from the TV seemed to go silent as he listened to the beating of his own heart. Yes, this was a wonderful idea for a date indeed.

\-----

When Boffo came into the living room the next day, he saw Linksano sitting at the kitchen table and staring somewhat moodily out the window. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t even realize Boffo was there until he felt the hand on his shoulder. _Is everything alright?_

“Oh!” Linksano jumped, a bit startled. “Yes, everything’s fine, Boffo! Well, er, mostly.” He turned his gaze toward the window again and sighed. “It’s amazing what kind of effect the weather can have on a man’s mood. I’ve always enjoyed pleasant seasons like spring more than this bleak winter nature insists on plaguing us with and after watching last night’s feature film with you, I’m certainly not in the mood for this dull, colorless environment. I’m fed up with all of this cold, this snow and slush on the ground. It’s so grey and dreary and it’s making me take on the same shade, I’m afraid.”

Boffo looked out the window and the picture that greeted him wasn’t very appealing to him either. _I know exactly what you mean. I prefer spring and summer too, days with plenty of sunshine and fresh air. All this grey color doesn’t sit well with me._

Linksano sighed. “Happy as I am that you agree, man has never found a way to control nature. Wayne and I tried, believe me we did, but even our genius wasn’t enough to thwart Mother Nature.”

Boffo felt a surge of sympathy for Linksano’s plight and thought hard about what he could do to help cheer him up. Then his face brightened as he was struck with an idea. _Perhaps a change of scenery is what we need._

“Eh?” Linksano looked up, curious. “What do you mean, Boffo?”

Do you have any plans for today, Linksano?

“Me? Well, no. Not really.”

_Would you be interested in spending the day elsewhere, perhaps?_

“With you?”

Boffo laughed silently. _Yes, silly, of course with me. I was wondering if I could take you out so you might feel better._

Linksano definitely looked interested now. “I’d like to see what you have in mind. Surely it can’t be any worse than the sight outside our window. Oh, just let me get one thing.”

Linksano scurried off upstairs and returned a moment later wearing a bow tie colored bright pink. Boffo couldn’t help finding Linksano’s commitment to dressing up endearing whenever they had a date and he gazed at the crooked adornment fondly.

Boffo then reached into his pocket for his teleporter and put his hand on Linksano’s arm. After a brief flash, the two found themselves standing outside a gate with throngs of people. The scientist blinked behind his goggles as the bright sun was in his eyes, and he sighed happily as warmth spread through his body. The grass was green upon the ground and there was no snow in sight. “Where are we, Boffo?”

_Plant City, Florida. I knew you wanted somewhere warm and cheerful, so I thought attending this strawberry festival would help. I’ve always enjoyed attending festivals and fairs and carnivals and the like. In fact, I’ve researched all the different festivals there are in the world._

“You have?” Linksano looked genuinely surprised by this and Boffo toed at the dirt, slightly embarrassed by the admission.

_Yes. I’ve even made a list of all the celebrations I’d like to attend in my life, like Carnivale in Rio De Janeiro, or Tomatina, in Italy. Even smaller strawberry festivals like this one make the list._

Boffo looked at him bashfully. He’d never revealed his plans about this to anyone and he was wondering how Linksano would react to this information. His heart leapt with joy when Linksano gave him that shy, awkward smile he loved in response. “Well, that sounds like a very fun life goal to have, Boffo. And y-yes, this festival does sound like a fun way to spend the day! What a splendid idea, Boffo! I think this will definitely be f-fun.”

Boffo felt so happy at Linksano’s newfound cheerfulness and support that he reached out and took his hand to squeeze with joy. Then he walked them over to the admission counter to purchase two tickets, on Boffo since it had been his idea. Linksano couldn’t help staring at their enjoined hands for a few moments, but then he smiled and let himself be led along by his eager boyfriend.

\-----

The day went by quite smoothly, with Linksano and Boffo walking around and enjoying the scenery, going on some rides that left them feeling dizzy, and enjoying treats like cotton candy and snow cones – after they’d been on the dizzying rides, of course.

“Oooh, Mommy, look, a clown!” a small boy exclaimed at one point, tugging on a woman’s dress and pointing. The woman looked and sure enough, Boffo was standing there waving.

“Huh, it is a clown. I didn’t know there were any clowns here at the festival.”

“Oh, he isn’t part of the festival, madam, he-” Linksano stopped abruptly when he saw Boffo pull some balloons out of his jacket, fanning them out for the boy to see. “Oh! I believe he’s asking what your favorite color is.”

“Green!” the boy cried out immediately. Boffo smiled and set right to work taking a green balloon and blowing it up, deftly making it into a puppy in no time at all. He handed it to the boy and he looked delighted. “Thank you!”

“Can I have one too?” a little girl shouted as she came running over to Boffo’s side.

“I want one too!”

“Me too!”

Boffo and Linksano soon found themselves surrounded by a throng of children who all wanted balloon animals, and while Linksano worried that Boffo might find himself annoyed at having to entertain when not actively performing, he soon let go of that thought entirely. Boffo seemed like he was having the time of his life making balloons for the children, and Linksano couldn’t help but feel his heart swell with affection as he thought of just how kindly a man he was.

Eventually, all the children got what animal they wanted and Boffo only had one balloon left. “My goodness, they cleaned you out, didn’t they?”

 _Don’t worry. I have plenty more back at the base. But I’m glad I was able to make everyone happy._ Boffo looked at the balloon in his hand and got a thought as he studied the color, which was red.

Linksano watched with interest as Boffo blew up the last balloon, twisting it into a heart before handing it to the scientist. Linksano blushed deeply, but accepted it and held it as though it were priceless and not just some piece of latex. “Oh, why, t-thank you, Boffo.”

\-----

Linksano and Boffo continued to walk about the festival and enjoy the warm day when they came to an area that contained games.

_I’ve never been very good at these, no matter how many times I play them._

“Really? Well, it’s not really a surprise. Most of these games are fixed, after all.”

_Perhaps, but it’s still fun to try._

Linksano took that in and looked at the game in question, where you had to toss the ball at an angle to land in a bucket. “Hmmm. You don’t happen to have any scratch paper on you, do you?”

Boffo reached into his pocket and withdrew a tiny notebook and pen. _What are you doing?_

“Just running some simple vectors. I could do them in my head, but I like having them on paper for these types of endeavors.” Linksano scribbled some equations and graphs on the paper that Boffo couldn’t make heads or tails out of, but soon he handed him the notebook back before handing his money to the man at the booth.

“Now, I am not very physically inclined,” Linksano warned him as he gripped the ball within his glove. “But I do know my physics! So, if I am not mistaken, if I should throw the ball at this angle…” Linksano did so and it spun into the bucket perfectly. “Aha! Success!”

Boffo clapped his hands eagerly and accepted the teddy bear the man handed over. _That’s amazing! Can you do that again?_

“It’s really very simple! Just watch me.” Linksano spun it on an angle again and won another prize. After doing so a third time, Boffo noticed they were starting to attract a crowd. He smiled as a few children approached the booth and easily handed over the three teddy bears to them, taking especial glee in the smiles on their faces.

Linksano noticed this and got more delight out of the look on Boffo’s face, so he ordered another few throws. The man behind the booth seemed dumbstruck as Linksano managed win after win, not missing a single throw, and Boffo kept handing all their prizes to the young children watching. Eventually, the man had no more prizes to give and the two men walked off giggling at the shocked look on his face.

“Well, that was more fun than expected!” Linksano told him, reaching out to take Boffo’s hand this time and marveling over how wonderful it felt to walk around in this manner. “Thank you for cheering me on.”

_You were wonderful! You’ll have to teach me more about how you did that one of these days! Sadly my math skills are only useful for tax deductions and bank transactions._

“Oh, I’m s-sure physics wouldn’t be that interesting,” Linksano began, looking down shyly. He noticed it was starting to get dark and his eyes spied the bright lights of the Ferris Wheel. “It’s getting late and we should return soon before the others worry, but would you like to join me in one last ride, Boffo?”

Boffo’s eyes twinkled. _I’d love to._

\-----

The two sat on the Ferris Wheel and smiled at each other as they felt it start to move. “I can’t remember the last time I’ve been on one of these. Not for years, I can assure you.”

_Me either. I’m so glad you wanted to come out here with me today._

“Well, I-I’m glad that you… felt kind enough to want to take me out today.” Linksano said the words with an effort but Boffo’s smile helped him calm down. As the two approached the top, he looked up at the sky. “Ah, it’s so wonderful not to see the sky fogged with clouds. All the stars are out tonight.”

Boffo looked up with him and noticed what looked like thousands of bright dots scattered across the sky. Linksano pointed upwards, tracing pictures with his hand. “You can see Andromeda there. Constellations are such lovely things; the whole multiverse is a work of art. So many novas, burning brightly, giving us one last perfect picture as their swan song-a final performance, if you will.” He looked to Boffo briefly before his gaze returned to the sky. “I’ve always loved the beauty and splendor of space.”

_You have a way with words, Linksano._

“Do I? Well, forgive me if I ramble on about it.” Linksano gazed at the stars wistfully. “Looking at the sky is one of those rare feelings of true peace I get. Our sky may be limited to this earth, but space… all of the multiverse is consumed by space. No matter where you are when you look at it, you can be sure that there’s someone else out there who’s looking up at the same place… maybe at the same time that you are.”

Boffo turned to him quizzically but Linksano didn’t notice. His mind was too busy thinking about other matters, and wondering if the stars were this bright for another scientist and his beautiful wife somewhere. Then Linksano remembered that he was with someone important, someone he could enjoy the stars with himself. He turned to Boffo with a smile. “Thank you again for taking me out here. I feel so much better.”

Boffo smiled back and reached out to hold his hand. _I’m so glad to hear that. I love making you happy, Linksano._

Linksano found himself pausing at that. It was no secret that Boffo liked making him happy, but actually seeing him sign the words touched a deep chord within him. He felt the warmth of Boffo’s hand even through their gloves and he thought of all the days they had spent together since that fateful New Year’s Eve.

The stars were still shining brightly overhead, mingling with the colorful lights of the Ferris Wheel, and Linksano didn’t know what possessed him to do it, but after seeing the twinkling warmth in Boffo’s blue eyes, he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to his for a few moments. Boffo closed his eyes and returned the kiss before letting Linksano pull away and smiling at him, both sets of cheeks pink and glowing.

The ride ended shortly after and the two walked off hand in hand, out of the carnival and through the gate. Boffo teleported them back to the base and they stood in the parking lot for a moment. Linksano wasn’t used to being so forward, but he reached out and pulled Boffo into a hug, still feeling the warmth of the Florida sun on his body. “Thank you.”

Boffo hugged back, thinking that Linksano was thanking him for more than just what they had shared that day. _Thank you, Linksano._

They pulled apart after a minute and walked up the stairs. Linksano could feel the wind on his cheeks and saw snow on the ground, but he didn’t care. As long as Boffo, with his everlasting colors and sunshine could be there in front of him, he didn’t care what Mother Nature could throw at him. He felt as though the rainclouds that had gathered over him these last few years were finally dispersing, and all that was left was the rainbow at the end of the storm.

After traveling up the second set of stairs, Boffo waved gently at him with a smile. _Good night._

Linksano smiled and waved back. “Good night.”

And it was.


End file.
